It is not a question of whether San Jose’ City Manager survives – barring a major admission under oath a la Jack Nicolson’s Colonel Jessep in A Few Good Men or the discovery of a dozen Cisco VOIP systems in his garage – he will. But should he?
In my time, although I had a good deal of power placed in the Mayor’s office, we maintained the line of separation that good government demands.
Our City has a tradition of strong, independent City Managers. It goes back to 1917 when the new Charter forced out the corrupt bosses and replaced them with a citizens’ government and a new City Manager.
Del Borgsdorf has allowed the Mayor and Council to interfere in some very important areas – namely, development and labor relations, maybe others. The reopening of the police negotiations a few years ago for political reasons is something that a Manager like Les White would have resigned over; the constant emasculation of the planning department – try even naming the Planning Director – is something that Gary Schoennauer would have fought to the death.
And Redevelopement? Whatever his mistakes in a twenty year career of distinction and great acclaim, I think often of one incident: a gift of a ceramic bowl that Frank Taylor received from the architect of the Convention Center, Lin Utson. Taylor, not wishing to offend but unable to ethically sanction the gift, came to me and asked what youth group could use some help – he then donated $400 to the kids – some principles, some manager. Under the Gonzales regime, he was forced out.
There is in this City the “tradition” of the City Manager, a postion of pride and courage, and the practice of our top officials who would rather crawl over broken glass than hurt the City by allowing improper pressures to reign.
This Manager has not added to that tradition.
Coming Thursday: Look for a special post column by Dave Cortese on how to deal with who should select a new council member for District 7.
Henry Kissinger once said, “There cannot be another crisis next week. My schedule is already full.” That pretty well sums up how I feel as a dedicated, but saddened, elected official at City Hall these days. The administration behaves like a hurtling, lost, out-of-control spacecraft with lame-duck commanders (or perhaps commandeers) and an ill-equipped flight crew desperately trying to re-enter the atmosphere. As it does, it has been scattering its own appendages as the debris of scandal all over San Jose.
The wreckage now has names—Tropicana, Norcal, Cisco, Gregory, Lobbyists and PACs—and more than a few additional names that belong to former employees and staffers. The carnage is currently spreading to current employees and people at the top. It is no longer at all fanciful to consider what crisis will be next—rather it is actually sensible to assume there will be more to come. We have actually come to expect, these days, Kissinger’s “crisis next week”.
For a third generation San Josean who honors those civic ancestors whose shoulders this city has been built upon, it is sad to see us fall so far back. It will take dynamic leadership and lots of hard work to move us forward again.
You were too easy on this group. Under this Mayor there has been no city manager. Del was hand-picked by the Mayor to be his yes-man, and that’s exactly what the mayor and the timid council that went along got. Of course the manager will survive. The Mayor can’t let him go because then the manager might talk about how the mayor and his staff’s fingerprints are all over this Cisco fiasco.
You are correct that in the past, when there was integrity and principle at City Hall, from the Mayor’s office on down, people would have left rather than compromise their professional and personal integrity. Many senior level staff have done just that under this current regime but it way too late for the Mayor and manager to “restore” integrity that they worked so hard to undermine.
Hope you will comment on the manager’s “apology” and his solution to the problem by adding a new staff position. The place is out of control—too bad nothing will be done about it.
Who is responsible for the hiring and fireing of the Manager? The Mayor? He is so isolated in his ivory tower office he can’t hear what his electorate is saying. If it isn’t the Mayor, is it the council as a whole? Or is it a secret!
Our city manager is indeed a lame duck. Even the local papers are against him. They have never been against any liberal, labor backed official!
Now about the council scandles. How about the council person who drives a Mercedes 500? SURE his wife is “wealthy!” I have always thought that when you are looking for signs of graft, always look to the wives and children. Who do they work for? What is going into their bank accounts? Is there a family trust? Who is paying for the kids’ education? Isn’t that what brought down Dutch?
And one more thing: why haven’t the investigators looked at the Cisco side of the equation? Is there a connection between the manager and his staffs’ families and anybody in Cisco?
Jerry
Dr. Frankenstein, I think the villagers have lit the torches.
The investigations said Cisco did nothing wrong. City staff screwed up. That’s why Del is apologizing in paper today.
Tom,
You are right about Les White and Frank Taylor’s dedication to integrity and ethical principles during their tenure with the City.
The mission of the International City Management Association (to which all professional city administrators belong) is to create excellence in local governance by developing and fostering professional local government management worldwide. To further this mission, certain principles govern the conduct of every member of ICMA.
One of the principles states that every member of ICMA shall. . . “be dedicated to the highest ideals of honor and integrity in all public and personal relationships in order that the member may merit the respect and confidence of the elected officials, of other officials and employees, and the public.”
It’s too bad the current city manager has ignored this basic tenet of the ICMA Code of Ethics.
Hey City Hall Guy—Del’s apologizing because Gonzales chewed his behind. He’s trying to save his behind.
It’s too bad that the two female executives in the San Jose IT Department that were fired, and the one Hispanic employee who was demoted , were not given an opportunity to apologize for lying to the City Council.
The white male executives in the City Manager’s Office believe that an apology for lying will suffice. It just doesn’t seem fair!!
How long is this circle jerk among city hall has beens and other bitter people going to continue?
It is refreshing to see this kind of candor. Those people we elect have a responsibility to be honorable. Somehow that is always forgotten.
Wow, Truth, someone’s drinking the Kool Aid! .
My point is simply that you have a former mayor who was guilty of the same sorts of conflicts and bad judgment. Former Mayor McEnery personally benefitted from the redevelopment of downtown SJ…sad but true.
That really only means he is a hypocrite. The bottom line is I really don’t believe corruption is any more rampant now than it was when Tom was mayor.
In an ideal world, there would be no corruption. But as long as candidates have to fundraise, people giving money will expect something in return and something short of a quid pro quo.
I normally don’t get involved in the workings of goverment…However my feelings are this:
All goverment leaders should be held to the highest standards of public trusts. As soon as information comes in that’s verified concerning unethical or illegal actions on one’s part, they should be removed from public office and if anything criminal is involved than charges should be filed and jail time imposed if convicted…This is unfortunately not the case found on all levels of goverment from local to federal…. What can be done? That’s the age old question….Just keep up the vigilance and open press to expose any improper behavior, just as what your doing now…. I thank all of you for doing this.
Doug Snyder
Your points are interesting, and I am sure, although careless and factually wrong, sincere. My time in office is now history and I’ll rest on a job, honestly and competently done – I left only because I believe in term limits – I did not abandon my concern for the City or responsibility to speak out. I encourage lively discussion. Inform yourself a bit better, TRUTH, and we’ll continue the debate.
TMcE
Although I haven’t agreed with Tom on several things (e.g., Fallon Statue) I must admit that during his term, there was a strong separation between the Mayor’s Office and City Council, and the City Administration. One’s job was to set policy, and the other’s was to carry it out. During those times, administrative staff was free to provide their opinions, and raise objections where appropriate. That is not the case anymore. It used to be staff’s role to provide “advice and consent.” Now staff’s role is to “consent and consent.” The City Manager has allowed most City Councilmembers (and the Mayor) to dictate to staff who to hire, which contractors to employ, and the direction of the most minute program details. Who is elected Mayor next, will determine whether the status quo remains. As for me, who labor recommends, is not who I will vote for.
There is a very foul odor coming from City Hall and it is difficult to identify its sole source. Maybe the new City Hall $$; or the CISCO debacle; or the City Manager; or the huge cost over-run to set up Gregory’s office when he took office; or the ethics of Gregory (and maybe others; or maybe all of the above. Someone better grab the LYSOL and go to work.
What a sad state of affairs. To see something so great unraveled is heartbreaking.